Maria Nagel, MD

Professional Titles

• Cockerill-Wittmus Endowed Chair in Neurology
• Professor, Department of Neurology
• Professor, Department of Ophthalmology

Recognitions

• Fellow, American Neurological Association (2013)
• Grateful Patient and Family Award, University of Colorado Hospital (2011)
• MBA Oldstone Pioneer Lectureship Award for an Investigator in Training, International Society for NeuroVirology (2006)
  
• Award for Most Outstanding Research by a Neurology Resident, Department of Neurology, University of Colorado School of Medicine (2006)
  

Research Interests

Neurological and systemic diseases produced by varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex including herpes zoster (shingles), zoster sine herpete (shingles without rash), Ramsay Hunt syndrome, postherpetic neuralgia, VZV vasculopathy (stroke, aneurysm), VZV temporal arteritis, facial pain syndromes, burning mouth syndrome, and erythromelalgia.

Publications

• NeurologyToday. Valacyclovir shows significant benefit for patients with post-herpetic neuralgia due to herpes zoster ophthalmaicus. By Mark Moran, May 1, 2025. https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/fulltext/2025/05010/valacyclovir_shows_significant_benefit_for.3.aspx
• NeurologyToday. Herpes zoster vaccination prevents new dementia diagnoses, studies find. By Dan Hurley, July 3, 2025. https://journals.lww.com/neurotodayonline/fulltext/2025/07030/herpes_zoster_vaccination_prevents_new_dementia.2.aspx?context=latestarticles
• Nagel MA. Alphaherpesviruses. In: Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences, 3rd Edition (England JD ed), Elsevier Publishing. Chap. __:__-__, 2025.
• Arumugam I, Rajasekaran SS, Gopalakrishnan K, Gnanaskandan S, Jeganathan SN, Athi J, Shanmugaraj R, Ramesh R, Shankar V, Krishnasamy K, Ranganathan LN, Balakrishnan U, Mahalingam R, Bubak AN, Nagel MA, Srikanth P. Diagnostic value of anti-VZV IgG in neurological diseases among varicella unvaccinated individuals. J Neurovirol. 2024 Jun;30(3):327-335. PubMed PMID: 39085748
• Niemeyer CS, Frietze S, Coughlan C, Lewis SWR, Bustos Lopez S, Saviola AJ, Hansen KC, Medina EM, Hassell JE Jr, Kogut S, Traina-Dorge V, Nagel MA, Bruce KD, Restrepo D, Mahalingam R, Bubak AN. Suppression of the host antiviral response by non-infectious varicella zoster virus extracellular vesicles. J Virol. 2024 Aug 20;98(8):e0084824. PubMed PMID: 39051773
• Niemeyer CS, Traina-Dorge V, Doyle-Meyers L, Das A, Looper J, Mescher T, Feia B, Medina E, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R, Bubak AN. Simian varicella virus infection and reactivation in rhesus macaques trigger cytokine and Aß40/42 alterations in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. J Neurovirol. 2024 Feb;30(1):86-99. PubMed PMID: 38453879
• Bubak AN, Coughlan C, Posey J, Saviola AJ, Niemeyer CS, Lewis SWR, Lopez SB, Solano A, Tyring SK, Delaney C, Neeves KB, Mahalingam R, Hansen KC, Nagel MA. Zoster-Associated Prothrombotic Plasma Exosomes and Increased Stroke Risk. J Infect Dis. 2023 Apr 18;227(8):993-1001. PubMed PMID: 36200236
• Bubak AN, Merle L, Niemeyer CS, Baxter BD, Gentile Polese A, Ramakrishnan V, Gomez J, Madrigal L, Villegas-Lanau A, Lopera F, Macklin W, Frietze S, Nagel MA, Restrepo D. Signatures for viral infection and inflammation in the proximal olfactory system in familial Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging. 2023 Mar;123:75-82. PubMed PMID: 36638683
• Mehta SK, Diak DM, Rooney BV, Krieger SS, Nelman-Gonzalez M, Locke JP, Nagel MA, Young M, Crucian BE. Antiviral treatment with valacyclovir reduces virus shedding in saliva of Antarctic expeditioners. Original Research. Frontiers in Virology. 2023;3doi:10.3389/fviro.2023.1157659
• Johnson RJ, Tolan DR, Bredesen D, Nagel M, Sanchez-Lozada LG, Fini M, Burtis S, Lanaspa MA, Perlmutter D, Could Alzheimer’s disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism? Am J Clin Nutr. 2023;117(3):455-466. ISSN 0002-9165, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.002.
• Bubak AN, Coughlan C, Posey J, Saviola AJ, Niemeyer CS, Lewis SWR, Lopez SB, Solano A, Tyring SK, Delaney C, Neeves KB, Mahalingam R, Hansen KC, Nagel MA. Zoster-associated Prothrombotic Plasma Exosomes and Increased Stroke Risk. J Infect Dis. 2022 Oct 6. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 36200236
• Mahalingam R, Feia B, Coleman C, Anupindi K, Saravanan P, Luthens A, Bustillos A, Das A, de Haro E, Doyle-Meyers L, Looper J, Bubak AN, Niemeyer CS, Palmer B, Nagel MA, Traina-Dorge V. Simian Varicella Virus Pathogenesis in Skin during Varicella and Zoster. Viruses. 2022 May 27;14(6). PubMed PMID: 35746639
• Niemeyer CS, Mescher T, Bubak AN, Medina EM, Hassell JE Jr, Nagel MA. VZV Infection of Primary Human Adrenal Cortical Cells Produces a Proinflammatory Environment without Cell Death. Viruses. 2022 Mar 25;14(4). PubMed PMID: 35458404
• Sarkar L, Oko L, Gupta S, Bubak AN, Das B, Gupta P, Safiriyu AA, Singhal C, Neogi U, Bloom D, Banerjee A, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Koval M, Shindler KS, Pal D, Nagel M, Sarma JD. Azadirachta indica A. Juss bark extract and its Nimbin isomers restrict ß-coronaviral infection and replication. Virology. 2022 Apr;569:13-28. PubMed PMID: 35219218
• Bubak AN, Como CN, Hassell JE Jr, Mescher T, Frietze SE, Niemeyer CS, Cohrs RJ, Nagel MA. Targeted RNA Sequencing of VZV-Infected Brain Vascular Adventitial Fibroblasts Indicates That Amyloid May Be Involved in VZV Vasculopathy. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2022 Jan;9(1). PubMed PMID: 34759019
• Bubak AN, Beseler C, Como CN, Coughlan CM, Johnson NR, Hassell JE, Burnet AM, Mescher T, Schmid DS, Coleman C, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Boyd TD, Potter H, Shilleh AH, Russ HA, Nagel MA. Amylin, Aß42, and Amyloid in Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy Cerebrospinal Fluid and Infected Vascular Cells. J Infect Dis. 2021 Apr 8;223(7):1284-1294. PubMed PMID: 32809013
• Bertamino M, Signa S, Vagelli G, Caorsi R, Zanetti A, Volpi S, Losurdo G, Amico G, Dodi I, Prato G, Ronchetti AB, Di Rocco M, Nagel M, Severino M. An atypical case of post-varicella stroke in a child presenting with hemichorea followed by late-onset inflammatory focal cerebral arteriopathy. Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2021 Jan;11(1):463-471. PubMed PMID: 33392044
• Mescher T, Boyer PJ, Bubak AN, Hassell JE Jr, Nagel MA. Detection of varicella zoster virus antigen and DNA in two cases of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. J Neurol Sci. 2021 Mar 15;422:117315. PubMed PMID: 33503519
• Baxter BD, Larson ED, Merle L, Feinstein P, Polese AG, Bubak AN, Niemeyer CS, Hassell J Jr, Shepherd D, Ramakrishnan VR, Nagel MA, Restrepo D. Transcriptional profiling reveals potential involvement of microvillous TRPM5-expressing cells in viral infection of the olfactory epithelium. BMC Genomics. 2021 Mar 30;22(1):224. PubMed PMID: 33781205
• Bertamino M, Signa S, Veneruso M, Prato G, Caorsi R, Losurdo G, Teutonico F, Esposito S, Formica F, Tovaglieri N, Nagel MA, Amico G, Zanetti A, Tortora D, Rossi A, Moretti P, Gattorno M, Ravelli A, Severino M. Expanding the clinical and neuroimaging features of post-varicella arteriopathy of childhood. J Neurol. 2021 May 27. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 34046727
• Niemeyer CS, Mescher T, Griggs R, Orlicky DJ, Wilkerson GK, Bubak AN, Hassell JE Jr, Feia B, Mahalingam R, Traina-Dorge V, Nagel MA. Histopathological Analysis of Adrenal Glands after Simian Varicella Virus Infection. Viruses. 2021 Jun 26;13(7). PubMed PMID: 34206909
• Bubak AN, Mescher T, Mariani M, Frietze SE, Hassell JE Jr, Niemeyer CS, Como CN, Burnet AM, Subramanian PS, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R, Nagel MA. Targeted RNA Sequencing of Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Temporal Arteries From Giant Cell Arteritis Cases Reveals Viral Signatures. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2021 Nov;8(6). PubMed PMID: 34493606
• Bubak AN, Traina-Dorge V, Como CN, Feia B, Pearce CM, Doyle-Meyers L, Das A, Looper J, Mahalingam R, Nagel MA. Elevated serum substance P during simian varicella virus infection in rhesus macaques: implications for chronic inflammation and adverse cerebrovascular events. J Neurovirol. 2020 Sep 22. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32964407
• Bubak AN, Beseler C, Como CN, Coughlan CM, Johnson NR, Hassell JE, Burnet AM, Mescher T, Schmid DS, Coleman C, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Boyd TD, Potter H, Shilleh AH, Russ HA, Nagel MA. Amylin, Aß42, and Amyloid in VZV Vasculopathy Cerebrospinal Fluid and Infected Vascular Cells. J Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 18. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 32809013
• Baxter BD, Larson ED, Feinstein P, Polese AG, Bubak AN, Niemeyer CS, Merle L, Shepherd D, Ramakrishnan VR, Nagel MA, Restrepo D. Transcriptional profiling reveals TRPM5-expressing cells involved in viral infection in the olfactory epithelium. bioRxiv. 2020 May 15. PubMed PMID: 32511400
• Bubak AN, Beseler C, Como CN, Tyring SK, Haley C, Mescher T, Hassell JE Jr, Cohrs RJ, Potter H, Nagel MA. Acute zoster plasma contains elevated amyloid, correlating with Aß42 and amylin levels, and is amyloidogenic. J Neurovirol. 2020 Jun;26(3):422-428. PubMed PMID: 32385803
• Nagel MA, Niemeyer CS, Bubak AN. Central nervous system infections produced by varicella zoster virus. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2020 Jun;33(3):273-278. PubMed PMID: 32332223
• Bubak AN, Como CN, Coughlan CM, Johnson NR, Hassell JE, Mescher T, Niemeyer CS, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Boyd TD, Potter H, Russ HA, Nagel MA. Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection of Primary Human Spinal Astrocytes Produces Intracellular Amylin, Amyloid-ß, and an Amyloidogenic Extracellular Environment. J Infect Dis. 2020 Mar 16;221(7):1088-1097. PubMed PMID: 31665341
• Johnson RJ, Gomez-Pinilla F, Nagel M, Nakagawa T, Rodriguez-Iturbe B, Sanchez-Lozada LG, Tolan DR, Lanaspa MA. Cerebral Fructose Metabolism as a Potential Mechanism Driving Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci. 2020;12:560865. PubMed PMID: 33024433
• Hudish LI, Bubak A, Triolo TM, Niemeyer CS, Sussel L, Nagel M, Taliaferro JM, Russ HA. Modeling Hypoxia-Induced Neuropathies Using a Fast and Scalable Human Motor Neuron Differentiation System. Stem Cell Reports. 2020 Jun 9;14(6):1033-1043. PubMed PMID: 32386561
• Nagel MA, Bubak AN. Herpes Zoster, a Rash of Cerebrovascular Events. Mayo Clin Proc. 2019 May;94(5):742-744. PubMed PMID: 31054599
• Jones D, Como CN, Jing L, Blackmon A, Neff CP, Krueger O, Bubak AN, Palmer BE, Koelle DM, Nagel MA. Varicella zoster virus productively infects human peripheral blood mononuclear cells to modulate expression of immunoinhibitory proteins and blocking PD-L1 enhances virus-specific CD8 T cell effector function. PLoS Pathog. 2019 Mar;15(3):e1007650. PubMed PMID: 30870532
• Blackmon AM, Como CN, Bubak AN, Mescher T, Jones D, Nagel MA. Varicella Zoster Virus Alters Expression of Cell Adhesion Proteins in Human Perineurial Cells Via Interleukin 6. J Infect Dis. 2019 Mar 5. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30835269
• Como CN, Bubak AN, Blackmon AM, Jones D, Mueller NH, Davidson R, Nagel MA. Varicella Zoster Virus Induces Differential Cell-Type Specific Responses in Human Corneal Epithelial Cells and Keratocytes. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Feb 1;60(2):704-711. PubMed PMID: 30786281
• Traina-Dorge V, Palmer BE, Coleman C, Hunter M, Frieman A, Gilmore A, Altrock K, Doyle-Meyers L, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R. Reactivation of Simian Varicella Virus in Rhesus Macaques after CD4 T Cell Depletion. J Virol. 2019 Feb 1;93(3). PubMed PMID: 30404798
• Mahalingam R, Kaufer BB, Ouwendijk WJD, Verjans GMGM, Coleman C, Hunter M, Das A, Palmer BE, Clambey E, Nagel MA, Traina-Dorge V. Attenuation of Simian Varicella Virus Infection by Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein in Rhesus Macaques. J Virol. 2018 Jan 17. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29343566
• Betker JL, Jones D, Childs CR, Helm KM, Terrell K, Nagel MA, Anchordoquy TJ. Nanoparticle uptake by circulating leukocytes: A major barrier to tumor delivery. J Control Release. 2018 Sep 28;286:85-93. PubMed PMID: 30030182
• Bubak AN, Como CN, Blackmon AM, Frietze S, Mescher T, Jones D, Cohrs RJ, Paucek P, Baird NL, Nagel MA. Varicella Zoster Virus Induces Nuclear Translocation of the Neurokinin-1 Receptor, Promoting Lamellipodia Formation and Viral Spread in Spinal Astrocytes. J Infect Dis. 2018 Sep 8;218(8):1324-1335. PubMed PMID: 29788447
• Mahalingam R, Kaufer BB, Ouwendijk WJD, Verjans GMGM, Coleman C, Hunter M, Das A, Palmer BE, Clambey E, Nagel MA, Traina-Dorge V. Attenuation of Simian Varicella Virus Infection by Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein in Rhesus Macaques. J Virol. 2018 Apr 1;92(7). PubMed PMID: 29343566
• Nagel MA, Bubak AN. Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy. J Infect Dis. 2018 Sep 22;218(suppl_2):S107-S112. PubMed PMID: 30247600
• Bubak AN, Como CN, Blackmon AM, Jones D, Nagel MA. Varicella zoster virus differentially alters morphology and suppresses proinflammatory cytokines in primary human spinal cord and hippocampal astrocytes. J Neuroinflammation. 2018 Nov 15;15(1):318. PubMed PMID: 30442152
• Traina-Dorge V, Palmer BE, Coleman C, Hunter M, Frieman A, Gilmore A, Altrock K, Doyle-Meyers L, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R. Reactivation of Simian Varicella Virus (SVV) in Rhesus Macaques After CD4 T Cell Depletion. J Virol. 2018 Nov 7. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30404798
• Nagel MA, Jones D, Wyborny A. Varicella zoster virus vasculopathy: The expanding clinical spectrum and pathogenesis. J Neuroimmunol. 2017 Jul 15;308:112-117. PubMed PMID: 28335992
• Owens GP, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ. Donald H. Gilden, M.D. J Neuroimmunol. 2017 Jul 15;308:2-5. PubMed PMID: 28087078
• Jones D, Neff CP, Palmer BE, Stenmark K, Nagel MA. Varicella zoster virus-infected cerebrovascular cells produce a proinflammatory environment. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2017 Sep;4(5):e382. PubMed PMID: 29159203
• Yawn BP, Wollan PC, Nagel MA, Gilden D. Risk of Stroke and Myocardial Infarction After Herpes Zoster in Older Adults in a US Community Population. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016 Jan;91(1):33-44. PubMed PMID: 26704438
• Jones D, Blackmon A, Neff CP, Palmer BE, Gilden D, Badani H, Nagel MA. Varicella-Zoster Virus Downregulates Programmed Death Ligand 1 and Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I in Human Brain Vascular Adventitial Fibroblasts, Perineurial Cells, and Lung Fibroblasts. J Virol. 2016 Dec 1;90(23):10527-10534. PubMed PMID: 27630241
• Gilden D, Grose C, White T, Nagae L, Hendricks RL, Cohrs RJ, Nagel MA. Successful antiviral treatment after 6years of chronic progressive neurological disease attributed to VZV brain infection. J Neurol Sci. 2016 Sep 15;368:240-2. PubMed PMID: 27538641
• Nagel MA, Gilden D. Burning mouth syndrome associated with varicella zoster virus. BMJ Case Rep. 2016 Jul 5;2016. PubMed PMID: 27382016
• Jones D, Alvarez E, Selva S, Gilden D, Nagel MA. Proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases in CSF of patients with VZV vasculopathy. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2016 Jun 13;3(4):e246. PubMed PMID: 27340684
• Nagel MA, Burns TM, Gilden D. SUNCT headaches after ipsilateral ophthalmic-distribution zoster. J Neurol Sci. 2016 Jul 15;366:207-8. PubMed PMID: 27288808
• Gilden D, Nagel MA. Varicella zoster virus triggers the immunopathology of giant cell arteritis. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2016 Jul;28(4):376-82. PubMed PMID: 27224742
• Gilden D, White T, Khmeleva N, Katz BJ, Nagel MA. Blinded search for varicella zoster virus in giant cell arteritis (GCA)-positive and GCA-negative temporal arteries. J Neurol Sci. 2016 May 15;364:141-3. PubMed PMID: 27084233
• Gilden D, White T, Boyer PJ, Galetta KM, Hedley-Whyte ET, Frank M, Holmes D, Nagel MA. Varicella Zoster Virus Infection in Granulomatous Arteritis of the Aorta. J Infect Dis. 2016 Jun 15;213(12):1866-71. PubMed PMID: 27037084
• Gilden D, White T, Khmeleva N, Boyer PJ, Nagel MA. VZV in biopsy-positive and -negative giant cell arteritis: Analysis of 100 temporal arteries. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2016 Mar 9;3(2):e216. PubMed PMID: 27027098
• Gilden D, Nagel MA. Varicella zoster virus and giant cell arteritis. Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2016 Jun;29(3):275-9. PubMed PMID: 26871403
• Badani H, White T, Schulick N, Raeburn CD, Topkaya I, Gilden D, Nagel MA. Frequency of varicella zoster virus DNA in human adrenal glands. J Neurovirol. 2016 Jun;22(3):400-2. PubMed PMID: 26843382
• Nagel MA, Gilden D. Developments in Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2016 Feb;16(2):12. PubMed PMID: 26750127
• Yawn BP, Wollan PC, Nagel MA, Gilden D. Risk of Stroke and Myocardial Infarction After Herpes Zoster in Older Adults in a US Community Population. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016 Jan;91(1):33-44. PubMed PMID: 26704438
• Nagel MA, White T, Gilden D. Varicella-Zoster Virus in Giant Cell Arteritis--Reply. JAMA Neurol. 2016 Feb;73(2):239. PubMed PMID: 26659618
• Nagel MA, White T, Gilden D. Varicella-Zoster Virus in Giant Cell Arteritis-Reply. JAMA Neurol. 2015 Dec 14;:1. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 26659618
• Lavi E, Gilden D, Nagel M, White T, Grose C. Prevalence and distribution of VZV in temporal arteries of patients with giant cell arteritis. Neurology. 2015 Nov 24;85(21):1914-5. PubMed PMID: 26598436
• Nagel MA, Choe A, Rempel A, Wyborny A, Stenmark K, Gilden D. Differential regulation of matrix metalloproteinases in varicella zoster virus-infected human brain vascular adventitial fibroblasts. J Neurol Sci. 2015 Nov 15;358(1-2):444-6. PubMed PMID: 26443282
• Nagel MA, White T, Khmeleva N, Rempel A, Boyer PJ, Bennett JL, Haller A, Lear-Kaul K, Kandasmy B, Amato M, Wood E, Durairaj V, Fogt F, Tamhankar MA, Grossniklaus HE, Poppiti RJ, Bockelman B, Keyvani K, Pollak L, Mendlovic S, Fowkes M, Eberhart CG, Buttmann M, Toyka KV, Meyer-Ter-Vehn T, Petursdottir V, Gilden D. Analysis of Varicella-Zoster Virus in Temporal Arteries Biopsy Positive and Negative for Giant Cell Arteritis. JAMA Neurol. 2015 Nov 1;72(11):1281-7. PubMed PMID: 26349037
• Gilden D, Nagel M. Varicella Zoster Virus in Temporal Arteries of Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis. J Infect Dis. 2015 Jul 15;212 Suppl 1:S37-9. PubMed PMID: 26116729
• Gilden D, White T, Galetta SL, Fogt F, Nagel MA. Widespread arterial infection by varicella-zoster virus explains refractory giant cell arteritis. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2015 Aug;2(4):e125. PubMed PMID: 26090509
• Golas L, Bennett JL, White TM, Skarf B, Lesser R, Nagel MA, Gilden D. Varicella Zoster Virus in Ischemic Optic Neuropathy. Ophthalmology. 2015 Oct;122(10):2142-5. PubMed PMID: 26050536
• Nagel MA, Lenggenhager D, White T, Khmeleva N, Heintzman A, Boyer PJ, Gilden D. Disseminated VZV infection and asymptomatic VZV vasculopathy after steroid abuse. J Clin Virol. 2015 May;66:72-5. PubMed PMID: 25866342
• Nagel MA, Choe A, Traktinskiy I, Gilden D. Burning mouth syndrome due to herpes simplex virus type 1. BMJ Case Rep. 2015 Apr 1;2015. PubMed PMID: 25833911
• Nagel MA, Gilden D. The relationship between herpes zoster and stroke. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2015 Apr;15(4):16. PubMed PMID: 25712420
• Gilden D, White T, Khmeleva N, Heintzman A, Choe A, Boyer PJ, Grose C, Carpenter JE, Rempel A, Bos N, Kandasamy B, Lear-Kaul K, Holmes DB, Bennett JL, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R, Mandava N, Eberhart CG, Bockelman B, Poppiti RJ, Tamhankar MA, Fogt F, Amato M, Wood E, Durairaj V, Rasmussen S, Petursdottir V, Pollak L, Mendlovic S, Chatelain D, Keyvani K, Brueck W, Nagel MA. Prevalence and distribution of VZV in temporal arteries of patients with giant cell arteritis. Neurology. 2015 May 12;84(19):1948-55. PubMed PMID: 25695965
• Gilden D, White TM, Nagae L, Gurdin WH, Boyer PJ, Nagel MA. Successful Antiviral Treatment of Giant Cell Arteritis and Takayasu Arteritis. JAMA Neurol. 2015 Aug;72(8):943-6. PubMed PMID: 26258736
• Nandhagopal R, Khmeleva N, Jayakrishnan B, White T, Al Azri F, George J, Heintzman A, Al Zeedy K, Rorke-Adams L, Gujjar AR, Schmid DS, Al-Asmi A, Nagel MA, Jacob PC, Gilden D. Varicella zoster virus pneumonitis and brainstem encephalitis without skin rash in an immunocompetent adult. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2014 Sep;1(2):ofu064. PubMed PMID: 25734134
• Nagel MA, James SF, Traktinskiy I, Wyborny A, Choe A, Rempel A, Baird NL, Gilden D. Inhibition of phosphorylated-STAT1 nuclear translocation and antiviral protein expression in human brain vascular adventitial fibroblasts infected with varicella-zoster virus. J Virol. 2014 Oct;88(19):11634-7. PubMed PMID: 25056900
• Gilden D, Nagel MA, Cohrs RJ. Varicella-zoster. Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;123:265-83. PubMed PMID: 25015490
• El Kasmi KC, Pugliese SC, Riddle SR, Poth JM, Anderson AL, Frid MG, Li M, Pullamsetti SS, Savai R, Nagel MA, Fini MA, Graham BB, Tuder RM, Friedman JE, Eltzschig HK, Sokol RJ, Stenmark KR. Adventitial fibroblasts induce a distinct proinflammatory/profibrotic macrophage phenotype in pulmonary hypertension. J Immunol. 2014 Jul 15;193(2):597-609. PubMed PMID: 24928992
• Teodoro T, Nagel MA, Geraldes R, White T, Mahalingam R, Batista P, Wellish M, Pimentel J, Khmeleva N, Heintzman A, Albuquerque L, Boyer PJ, Choe A, Peralta R, Gilden D. Biopsy-negative, varicella zoster virus (VZV)-positive giant cell arteritis, zoster, VZV encephalitis and ischemic optic neuropathy, all in one. J Neurol Sci. 2014 Aug 15;343(1-2):195-7. PubMed PMID: 24923742
• Liberman AL, Nagel MA, Hurley MC, Caprio FZ, Bernstein RA, Gilden D. Rapid development of 9 cerebral aneurysms in varicella-zoster virus vasculopathy. Neurology. 2014 Jun 10;82(23):2139-41. PubMed PMID: 24827494
• Nagel MA, Gilden D. Update on varicella zoster virus vasculopathy. Curr Infect Dis Rep. 2014 Jun;16(6):407. PubMed PMID: 24819870
• Nagel MA, Gilden D. Neurological complications of varicella zoster virus reactivation. Curr Opin Neurol. 2014 Jun;27(3):356-60. PubMed PMID: 24792344
• Nagel MA, Rempel A, Huntington J, Kim F, Choe A, Gilden D. Frequency and abundance of alphaherpesvirus DNA in human thoracic sympathetic ganglia. J Virol. 2014 Jul;88(14):8189-92. PubMed PMID: 24789785
• Nagel MA, Khmeleva N, Choe A, Gutierrez J, Gilden D. Varicella zoster virus (VZV) in cerebral arteries of subjects at high risk for VZV reactivation. J Neurol Sci. 2014 Apr 15;339(1-2):32-4. PubMed PMID: 24556269
• Sabry A, Hauk PJ, Jing H, Su HC, Stence NV, Mirsky DM, Nagel MA, Abbott JK, Dragone LL, Armstrong-Wells J, Curtis DJ, Cohrs R, Schmid DS, Gilden D, Gelfand EW. Vaccine strain varicella-zoster virus-induced central nervous system vasculopathy as the presenting feature of DOCK8 deficiency. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014 Apr;133(4):1225-7. PubMed PMID: 24418481
• Birlea M, Nagel MA, Khmeleva N, Choe A, Kleinschmidt-Demasters B, Hevner R, Boyer P, Lear-Kaul KC, Bos N, Wellish M, Cohrs RJ, Gilden D. Varicella-zoster virus trigeminal ganglioneuritis without rash. Neurology. 2014 Jan 7;82(1):90-2. PubMed PMID: 24285619
• Nagel MA. Varicella zoster virus vasculopathy: clinical features and pathogenesis. J Neurovirol. 2014 Apr;20(2):157-63. PubMed PMID: 23918503
• Birlea, M., Nagel, M.A., Cohrs, R.J., Mahalingam, R., James, S., Gilden, D.: VZV. In: Encyclopedia of Neurological Sciences 2E (M.J. Aminoff, R.D. Daroff, eds.), Elsevier Inc., San Diego, CA., 2014, in press.
• Nagel, M.A., Bennett, J.L., Khmeleva, N., Choe, A., Rempel, A., Boyer, P.J., Gilden, D.: Multifocal VZV vasculopathy with temporal artery infection mimics giant cell arteritis. Neurology, 2013, in press.
• Gilden, D., Nagel, M.A., Cohrs, R.J.: Varicella Zoster. In: Neurovirology, Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 3rd Series (Alex Tselis, ed.), Elsevier Publishing Services, India, 2013, in press.
• Arvin, A.M., Gilden, D.: VZV. In: Fields Virology, 5th Edition (D.M. Knipe, P.M. Howley, eds.), Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia, PA., Chap., 2013, in press.
• Gilden, D., Cohrs, R.J., Mahalingam, R., Nagel, M.A.: The variegate neurological manifestations of VZV infection. In: Curr. Neurol. & Neursci. Rep., (J. Berger, ed.), Springer, Philadelphia, PA., 2013, in press.
• Nagel, M.A., Gilden, D.: VZV Complications. In: Current Treatment Options in Neurology, Vol.15, (4): (A. Pruitt, ed.), Springer, Philadelphia, PA., 2013, in press.
• Tsai, J., Nagel, M.A., Gilden, D.: Skin rash in meningitis and meningoencephalitis. Neurology, 2013, in press.
• Nagel, M.A., Alexander, C., Khmeleva, N., Overton, L., Rempel, A., Wyborny, A., Traktinskiy, I., Gilden, D.: Search for varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex-1 in normal human cerebral arteries. J. NeuroVirol., 2013, in press.
• Nagel, M.A., Gilden, D.: The challenging patient with VZV disease. Neurol. Clin. Pract., 2013, in press.
• Mathias, M., Nagel, M.A., Khmeleva, N., Boyer, P.J., Choe, A., Durairaj, V.D., Bennett, J.L., Mandava, N., Gilden, D.: VZV multifocal vasculopathy with ischemic optic neuropathy, acute retinal necrosis and temporal artery infection in the absence of zoster rash. J. Neurol. Sci. 325: 180–182, 2013.
• Nagel, M.A., Russman, A.N., Feit, D.O., Schmid, D.S., Skarf, B., Gilden, D.: VZV ischemic optic neuropathy and subclinical temporal artery infection without rash. Neurology 80:220-222, 2013.
• Nagel, M.A., Traktinskiy, I., B., Stenmark, K., Frid, M., Choe, B.A., Gilden, D.: VZV vasculopathy: Immune characteristics of virus-infected arteries: Neurology 80:62-68, 2013.
• Nagel, M.A., Cohrs, R.J., Gilden, D.: Varicella Zoster Virus Infections. In: Viral Infections of the Human Nervous System (A. C. Jackson, ed.) Springer Basel. Chap. 187-114, 2013.
• Nagel MA, Gilden D. The challenging patient with varicella-zoster virus disease. Neurol Clin Pract. 2013 Apr;3(2):109-117. PubMed PMID: 23914320
• Gilden D, Nagel MA, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R. The variegate neurological manifestations of varicella zoster virus infection. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2013 Sep;13(9):374. PubMed PMID: 23884722
• Nagel MA, Gilden D. Complications of varicella zoster virus reactivation. Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2013 Aug;15(4):439-53. PubMed PMID: 23794213
• Nagel MA, Choe A, Gilden D, Traina-Dorge V, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R. GeXPS multiplex PCR analysis of the simian varicella virus transcriptome in productively infected cells in culture and acutely infected ganglia. J Virol Methods. 2013 Oct;193(1):151-8. PubMed PMID: 23769859
• Tsai J, Nagel MA, Gilden D. Skin rash in meningitis and meningoencephalitis. Neurology. 2013 May 7;80(19):1808-11. PubMed PMID: 23650233
• Nagel MA, Bennett JL, Khmeleva N, Choe A, Rempel A, Boyer PJ, Gilden D. Multifocal VZV vasculopathy with temporal artery infection mimics giant cell arteritis. Neurology. 2013 May 28;80(22):2017-21. PubMed PMID: 23635966
• Nagel MA, Choe A, Khmeleva N, Overton L, Rempel A, Wyborny A, Traktinskiy I, Gilden D. Search for varicella zoster virus and herpes simplex virus-1 in normal human cerebral arteries. J Neurovirol. 2013 Apr;19(2):181-5. PubMed PMID: 23456953
• Mathias M, Nagel MA, Khmeleva N, Boyer PJ, Choe A, Durairaj VD, Bennett JL, Mandava N, Gilden D. VZV multifocal vasculopathy with ischemic optic neuropathy, acute retinal necrosis and temporal artery infection in the absence of zoster rash. J Neurol Sci. 2013 Feb 15;325(1-2):180-2. PubMed PMID: 23312850
• Nagel MA, Russman AN, Feit H, Traktinskiy I, Khmeleva N, Schmid DS, Skarf B, Gilden D. VZV ischemic optic neuropathy and subclinical temporal artery infection without rash. Neurology. 2013 Jan 8;80(2):220-2. PubMed PMID: 23255829
• Nagel MA, Traktinskiy I, Stenmark KR, Frid MG, Choe A, Gilden D. Varicella-zoster virus vasculopathy: immune characteristics of virus-infected arteries. Neurology. 2013 Jan 1;80(1):62-8. PubMed PMID: 23243076
• Silver B., Nagel M.A., Mahalingam R., Cohrs R., Schmid DS, Gilden D.: Varicella zoster virus vasculopathy: a Treatable form of rapidly progressive multi-infarct dementia after 2 years duration. J. Neurol. Sci. 323:245-247, 2012.
• Nagel M.A., Bert R.J., Gilden D.: Raeder’s paratrigeminal syndrome produced by extension of chronic inflammation to the internal carotid artery. Neurology 79:1296-1297, 2012.
• Wolf J., Nagel M.A., Mahalingam R., Cohrs R.J., Schmid D.S., Gilden D.: Chronic active varicella zoster virus infection. Neurology 79:828-829, 2012.
• Ouwendijk W.J., Choe A., Nagel M.A., Gilden D., Osterhaus A.D., Cohrs R.J., Verjans G.M.: Restricted VZV transcription in human trigeminal ganglia obtained early after death. J. Virol. 86:10203-10206, 2012.
• Nagel M.A., Traktinskiy I., Choe A., Rempel A., Gilden D.: Varicella-zoster virus expression in the cerebral arteries of diabetic subjects. Arch Neurol 69:142-144, 2012.
• 36. Tsai J., Cohrs R.J., Nagel M.A., Mahalingam R., Schmid D.S., Choe A., Gilden D.: Reactivation of type 1 herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus in an immunosuppressed patient with acute peripheral facial weakness. J Neurol Sci. 313:193-195, 2012.
• Nagel MA, Choe A, Traktinskiy I, Cordery-Cotter R, Gilden D, Cohrs RJ. VZV transcriptome in latently infected human ganglia. J Virol 85:2276-2287, 2011.
• Blumenthal DT, Shacham-Shmueli E, Bookstein F, Schmid DS, Cohrs RJ, Nagel MA, Mahalingam R, Gilden D. Zoster Sine herpete: virological verification by detection of anti-VZV igG antibody in CSF. Neurology 76:484-485, 2011.
• Salazar R, Russman AN, Nagel MA, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R, Schmid DS, Kleinschmidt- DeMasters BK, VanEgmond EM, Gilden D. VZV ischemic optic neuropathy and subclinical temporal artery involvement. Arch Neurol, 2011, in press.
• Pierson, D.L., Mehta, S.K., Gilden, D., Cohrs, R.J., Nagel, M.A., Schmid, D.S., Tyring, S.K.: Varicella zoster virus DNA at inoculation sites and in saliva after Zostavax immunization. J. Infect. Dis. 203:1542-1545, 2011.
• Gilden, D., Mahalingam, R., Nagel, M.A., Pugazhenthi, S., Cohrs, R.J.: The neurobiology of varicella zoster virus infection. Neuropathol. Appl. Neurobiol. 37:441-463, 2011.
• Nagel, M.A., Traktinskiy, I., Azarkh, Y., Kleinschmidt-DeMasters, B., Hedley-Whyte, T., Russman, A., VanEgmond, E.M., Stenmark, K., Frid, M., Mahalingam, R., Wellish, M., Choe, A., Cordery-Cotter, R., Cohrs, R.J., Gilden, D.: Varicella zoster virus vasculopathy: analysis of virus-infected arteries. Neurology 77:364-370, 2011.
• Nagel, M.A., Choe, A., Cohrs, R.J., Traktinskiy, I., Sorensen, K., Mehta, S.K., Pierson, D.L., Tyring, S.K., Haitz, K., DiGiorgio, C., LaPolla, W., Gilden, D.: Persistence of VZV DNA in saliva after herpes zoster. J. Infect. Dis. 204:820-824, 2011.
• Azarkh, Y., Dölken, L., Nagel, M., Gilden, D., Cohrs, R.J.: VZV mRNA synthesis and decay in the context of virus DNA replication. J. NeuroVirol. 17:281-287, 2011.
• Pugazhenthi S., Nair S., Velmurugan K., Liang Q., Mahalingam R., Cohrs R.J., Nagel M.A., Gilden D.: Varicella-zoster virus infection of differentiated human neural stem cells. J Virol. 85:6678-6686, 2011.
• Nagel M.A., Gilden D.: The trigeminal trophic syndrome. Neurology 77:1499, 2011.
• Gilden D, Cohrs RJ, Mahalingam R, Nagel MA. Neurological disease produced by varicella zoster virus reactivation without rash. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol 342:243-253, 2010.
• Nagel MA, Mahalingam R, Cohrs RJ, Gilden D. Virus vasculopathy and stroke: an under-recognized cause and treatment target. Infect Disord DrugTargets 10:105-111, 2010.
• Birlea, M., Nagel, M.A., Cohrs, R.J., Mahalingam, R., James, S., Gilden, D.: VZV. In: Encyclopedia of Neurological Sciences (M.J. Aminoff, R.D. Daroff, eds.), Elsevier Inc., San Diego, 2014, in press.
• Baird, N.L., Bowlin, J.L., Nagel, M.A., Gilden, D.: Varicella zoster virus. In: Antimicrobial Therapy and Vaccines, Antimicrobial Agents, 3rd Edition, (V.L. Yu, ed.), Oxford University Press, Pittsburgh, PA, 2014, in press.
• Gilden, D., Cohrs, R.J., Mahalingam, R., Nagel, M.A.: Varicella zoster virus infection of the nervous system. In: Neurobiology of Disease, 2nd Edition, (M.V. Johnston, H.P. Adams, S.A. Fatemi, eds.), Oxford University Press, New York, 2014, in press.
• An atypical case of post-varicella stroke in a child presenting with hemichorea followed by late-onset inflammatory focal cerebral arteriopathy. Quant. Imaging Med. Surg., 2020, in press.
• Bubak, A.N., Como, C.N., Hassell, J.E. Jr., Mescher, T., Frietze, S.E., Niemeyer, C.S., Cohrs, R.J., Nagel, M.A.: Targeted RNA sequencing of VZV-infected brain vascular adventitial fibroblasts indicates that amyloid may be involved in VZV vasculopathy. Neurol. Neuroimmunol. Neurinflamm., 2021, in press.

Professional Memberships

• International Society for NeuroVirology, Member
• American Neurological Association, Fellow
• American Heart Association, Member
• Rocky Mountain Virology Club, Member
• American Society of Microbiology, Member
• American Academy of Neurology, Member
• Royal Society of Medicine, Member
• Sigma Xi Honor Society, Member

Practice Locations

UCHealth Neurosciences Center - Anschutz Medical Campus
1635 Aurora Ct
4th Floor
Aurora, CO 80045
720-848-2080

Hospital Affiliation

• University of Colorado Hospital

Specialty Information

Specialties

• Neurology, Board Certification (2009)
• Colorado Medical License, License (2002)

Conditions & Treatments

• Brain and Nervous System
• Infections - Viral Infections
• Infections